Final Word Connection · Dr. David McFadden
Wedding ceremonies, written for the two of you
For more than 40 years Dr. David McFadden has planned and performed warm, heartfelt wedding ceremonies. An ordained pastor and a licensed marriage and family therapist, he designs each ceremony with you, so it is the most memorable day of your life.
- Religious or not, traditional or not
- No travel fee for weddings or rehearsals
- He leads your rehearsal
- 40+years planning and performing wedding ceremonies
- 1973ordained to the ministry
- 25years as a full-time pastor
- LMFTlicensed marriage and family therapist and LCPC
Are you ready?
Your ceremony is one of the most important events you will ever experience
You should have the very best professional leadership available, so the day is everything you hope for. Dr. McFadden is a caring, articulate, trained and ordained pastor, and he presents a warm ceremony that is personal to you, designed with you.
A wedding ceremony is both a serious event and a celebration of life and love, and he weaves all of it in: the serious parts as serious as they should be, and the rest light-hearted enough to put everyone at ease.
Final Word Connection was founded in 2013 by Dr. McFadden as the culmination of 30+ years of pastoral and patient care.
What he does
Ceremonies, and the marriage that follows
Wedding ceremonies
A personal ceremony planned with the two of you, as serious, fun, religious (or not) and traditional (or not) as you want it to be.
Premarital counseling
Five planned sessions with a licensed marriage and family therapist, to build a strong foundation before the big day.
Funerals and other ceremonies
A personal, meaningful service that honors a loved one’s life, and other religious ceremonies on request.
Marriage counseling
Practical, directive counseling and coaching for couples and for one partner on their own, in person, by video or by phone.
Your ceremony, in order
From the first call to the signed license
For most couples, one planning session plus a few calls, emails and texts is enough. He will meet as many times as you need.
Check your date
Fill in the form or call. Dr. McFadden replies within 24 hours to see whether he is free and to set up a time to meet.
Meet him
A first meeting of 30 minutes or so, in person, by phone or by video, to get to know each other and decide if he is the right fit.
Plan your ceremony
A full planning session with both of you. He walks you through every part of the ceremony with his worksheet and asks the questions that make it yours.
Choose the words
He emails you options for the vows, the exchange of rings and more. Use them, change them or write your own.
The rehearsal
He leads it himself nearly every time: 30–45 minutes, so everyone knows where to stand and when to arrive.
The ceremony
Usually 20–30 minutes, with “A Unique Relationship”: your story, told with both his serious and his fun side.
The license
You bring the county license to the rehearsal; he completes it, sends you a scanned copy and mails it.
Kind words
What couples say
We couldn’t have picked a better man to marry us! He speaks with such grace and kindness. He has the best combination of humor, sincerity, love and God in his ceremonies. All of our guests were so impressed.
Absolutely amazing! Dr. McFadden did a wonderful job with our ceremony. We got so many compliments afterwards on the personalization and wording of the ceremony.
He made the ceremony feel so personalized. My guests thought that he was a family friend because he was so outgoing and casual with us, yet professional.
More reviews onWeddingWireThe KnotThumbtack
Wedding stories
Couples he has married
Banquet halls and backyards, golf courses, gardens and chapels: a few of the weddings Dr. McFadden has officiated.
Marriage counseling
Also a licensed marriage and family therapist
Dr. McFadden has spent more than 50,000 hours counseling couples and helping them through their struggles. He offers practical, directive counseling for couples, and for one partner on their own, in person, by video or by phone.
Engaged? His premarital program helps you build a strong foundation before the big day.
Questions couples ask
Good to know
Do you travel to the venue we are using?
Yes. Dr. McFadden travels throughout the northwest suburbs and beyond for ceremonies and rehearsals: banquet halls, restaurants, hotels, country clubs, golf courses, parks, homes and backyards. He does not charge a travel fee for weddings or rehearsals.
Does our ceremony need to be religious or traditional?
“This is your wedding, not mine, and we will design a wedding ceremony that fits the two of you.” Your ceremony can be as religious (or not) and as traditional (or not) as you want it to be. It should fit your life, your values, your traditions and your dreams.
What qualifies you to do wedding ceremonies?
Dr. McFadden was ordained to the ministry in 1973 and was a full-time pastor in a non-denominational church for 25 years; his father and grandfather were full-time pastors too. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Christian Ministry from Lincoln Christian University, a Master’s degree and a Doctor of Ministry degree in Pastoral Counseling from the California Graduate School of Theology, and a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. He meets the requirements to legally officiate a wedding ceremony.
Do you provide premarital counseling?
Yes. Dr. McFadden worked for 20+ years as a full-time marriage and family therapist and developed a premarital program using the Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis and the FOCCUS Pre-Marriage Inventory. Churches and other officiants refer couples to him for it, and parents or grandparents often give the sessions as a gift. About premarital counseling.
Where do we get a marriage license?
“It is your job to get your marriage license, and it is my job to complete it and mail it.” Get the license from the County Clerk of the county where you will be married; their website lists the requirements. Usually you can get it up to 60 days before the wedding and no later than one day before. Dr. McFadden prefers to collect it at the rehearsal, and he sends you a scanned copy before he mails it.
Check your date
Is Dr. McFadden free on your date?
The form is the fastest way to find out. He replies within 24 hours to check your date and set up a time to meet, in person, by phone or by video. The sooner you ask, the better.